


You Were the Last Thing My Heart Expected

by jellytea



Category: The Troop
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-22
Updated: 2011-08-22
Packaged: 2017-10-22 23:10:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/243605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellytea/pseuds/jellytea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jake is still shaken by the projection of his biggest fear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Were the Last Thing My Heart Expected

**Author's Note:**

> Set immediately after "The Wrath of Wraith." I thought that it was really interesting that Jake's biggest fear is disappointing the Troop and, even more so, being unable to save Felix. And it made my shipper heart flail when Jake saying "you're my best friend" to Felix broke him free from the trance.
> 
> Title is from Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts."

_"You were supposed to be a hero, Jake. We trusted you with our lives."  
_  
Jake was quiet the entire ride back to headquarters. Felix and Hayley kept exchanging looks, unsure what they should say or do. They weren't exactly sure what happened at the hospital, only that Jake was the one who had snapped the two of them and Critter out of the Wraith's trance. He'd pasted on a smile while they drove Critter back home - thankfully, because Critter had gotten caught by the Wraith early on in the night, there had been no need for snarking - but once Critter was out of the car, Jake had slumped back against the backseat and turned his head to look blankly out of the car window.

"Jake, do you want us to just drop you off at home?" Hayley asked hesitantly, pulling into the hidden tunnel that led directly into the hub of HQ. "We don't really have any weapons to check back into Troop Grid, and the report can wait until tomorrow."

"No." He shook his head.

" _Say something_ ," she mouthed at Felix. He bit his lip and looked back at Jake.

"Um, Jake," Felix awkwardly cleared his throat and fiddled with his glasses. "What's wrong? Did something happen at the hospital? Are you upset about the grilling aprons I showed Critter?"

Jake turned his head and blinked slowly at Felix. After a beat of silence, he gave him a small smile and said softly, "I'm glad you're okay," then pushed the car door open. He climbed out, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and made his way to the security door, head bowed down, hands stuck in his jeans pockets.

"Go after him," Hayley hissed, shoving at Felix. He nodded jerkily and nearly fell out of the car in his haste to catch up with Jake.

Jake headed straight to the practice shooting range. He threw his backpack to the ground, snapped a pair of earmuffs on, and grabbed the pulse ray from its display on the side of the wall. He slammed his hand down onto the start button and hefted the gun onto his shoulder, tense and waiting for the targets to pop up from the ground. Felix came upon him just as he shot off his first round. He stopped in his tracks, arms flailing to keep himself from crashing into Jake. The last time he'd distracted Jake in the middle of shooting practice, he'd found himself looking down the barrel of the sonic blaster.

Felix stood behind Jake for a while, tracing patterns on the ground with his feet, just looking at him. When Jake finally set the gun down, he was breathing hard, his upper body jerking up and down with each breath. His right arm flopped down to his side, as if all the strength had drained from him. Felix stepped forward and wrestled it away from his hand. "I never properly said thank you, did I?" he asked lightly. He set the pulse ray back onto its rack and turned - and then stumbled back when he realized that Jake was standing right behind him, close enough that Felix could see little beads of sweat dripping from Jake's chin. He was staring at him again, all intense and focused, as if he wanted to keep the image of Felix in his mind forever.

"What? What?"

"What did you see, Felix? What's your biggest fear?" Jake asked in a low voice.

"A clown with lobster feet and beehive hands," Felix whispered back. He didn't know why he was whispering, but he was afraid that if he talked any louder, Jake would snap out of...whatever this was and revert back to sullen silence.

"Yeah?" Jake said, laughing bitterly. "That's what you're most afraid of? Nothing about the Troop?"

Felix wasn't sure what Jake wanted to hear. He furrowed his brow and leaned in, trying to figure out what Jake was thinking. "What did you see, Jake?" He let out a startled  _oof_ when Jake suddenly threw his arms around Felix's upper arms, tugging him close, dropping his head onto Felix's shoulder.

" _You_. I saw you. And I couldn't help you. I let you down." Jake's voice broke. "I couldn't move. I just saw you disappear."

"Hey, hey. That was just the Wraith messing with your mind," Felix said. Jake tightened his grip on Felix's shoulders and breathed in deeply. "I'm right here. I won't go away."


End file.
